Sexual and Gender Minority Rights

In March, the world marked International Women's Day 2025 under the banner #AccelerateAction. Kenya is pivotal in its journey toward gender democracy, but several strides on gender justice and equality remain a mirage.  Heinrich Boell Foundation, Nairobi took stock of its work in partnership with several grassroots and national organizations to spotlight the ongoing struggle through a powerful documentary titled "Feminist Resilience: What Does it mean for Justice and Democracy?" amid global crises, shrinking civic space, and shifting funding priorities.

Despite increasing awareness, the LGBTQ+ community in Kenya faces significant legal, social, and cultural challenges that restrict their access to essential services such as sexual and reproductive healthcare. This article by Enosh Abuya, Executive Director, The Eagles for Life Kenya (TEFL-K) underscores the vital role higher education institutions play in promoting human rights, particularly in regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) rights.

On July 25th, 2024, the Heinrich Böll Foundation in partnership with the Young Women's Leadership Institute (YWLI) hosted a pivotal Gender Forum at the Heinrich Böll Foundation's Nairobi office to raise raising awareness about femicide in Kenya

On May 17, 2024, INEND celebrated the groundbreaking of their Forever Home in Shanzu, Mombasa. This new center symbolizes a brighter, more inclusive future for the LGBTQ community. As long-serving partners at Heinrich Boell Foundation, Nairobi, we were honoured to be part of this great milestone

A few weeks ago, we organized the inaugural Gender Forum to coincide with International Women's Month. In collaboration with Aduda Hera, a talented actress, producer, and filmmaker, we screened the poignant short film "Shee." This film delves into the intricacies of love, trust, and communication within a same-sex relationship. Aduda, the creative force behind the film, shared her motivations and insights into sparking meaningful conversations beyond mere storytelling.

“Feminism in Pictures” is the result of a collaboration with seven incredible feminist illustrators from Brazil, Iran, India, Georgia, Pakistan, Turkiye, and Kenya for the Global Feminist Pitch 2023. These graphic novels are evidence of the continuing streams of feminist resistance and resilience in diverse global contexts.

Only 24% representation in national politics, less than 10% as student body presidents. Badili Africa, in collaboration with Heinrich Boll Foundation, tackles this gap, focusing on sexual harassment's role in hindering female leadership. Their partnership with JKUAT aims to revamp sexual harassment policies, shedding light on gaps and proposing solutions. From dissecting SGBV terminology to addressing emerging e-violence, they navigate complexities, emphasizing consent's paramount role. The call to action includes holistic awareness campaigns, annual training, gender desks, investigation committees, and supporting victims in creating safe spaces.

In East Africa, politics and the church propagate the idea that homosexuality is "un-African". In order to maintain their own power. However, queer life and love has always existed in Uganda. Homophobia, on the contrary, can be called a colonial import. We spoke with Ssenfuka Joanita Warry about queer activism in Uganda and why she takes every opportunity, she can to speak out and fight misconceptions about homosexuality.

Queer feminism allows us to understand that patriarchy harms all of us and only an intersectional approach enables collective liberation and working together in solidarity. Queer resistance can also be fun - and sometimes a dandy outfit is enough to make patriarchy shake. We talked to Yvee Oduor about activism and mobilization of genderqueer people in Kenya.